


On the Training Grounds

by TheIcyQueen



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Game: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Gen, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 13:54:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17705492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIcyQueen/pseuds/TheIcyQueen
Summary: The spars were meant to be training, of course. Well, officially, at least. It was probably a little more than just "training," what happened out there. Roxas didn't understand exactly what he was seeing, but he knew enough to understand it wasn't all on the up-and-up.





	On the Training Grounds

**Author's Note:**

> A prompt fill for corefenellie on tumblr! I can't lie--my main motivation here was "What if Org13 had a Fight Club?"
> 
> (It would be amazing.)

“I would like to take this moment to remind everyone that these matches are _randomized_.” Saïx’s face was impassive, his tone detached, but even then, not a _one_ of them bought into it. “Any suggestions otherwise are ridiculous and bordering on slander.”

Roxas’s brow furrowed as he looked back to Axel, “What does _that_ mean?”

Before he could answer, a sharp, spidery arm came to rest on Axel’s shoulder; Xigbar leaned the majority of his weight against him, though his gaze was directed at the empty patch in front of them. “It _means_ ,” Xigbar said, his smirk as loose and pointed as his posture, “ _Someone’s_ gonna be _pissed_ when they come out and see who they’re fightin’. _That’s_ what that means, kid.” If possible, his sneer grew, “And judgin’ by who _isn’t_ in the crowd right now, well…I think most of us got a pretty good idea of just _how_ pissed they’re gonna be.” 

He took a cursory glance around, but had to admit he couldn’t quite put a finger on who wasn’t–or who _was_ –in attendance. Life in the Organization was still new and confusing, and with the majority of the others standing as they were, hoods drawn, they may as well have been nothing more than faceless, expressionless Heartless in the dim light. He had seen others recognize one another by things as trivial as the shape of their sleeves, the hunch of their shoulders, but that was still _far_ beyond his own ability. Thankfully, Axel had been more than willing to help, but…well, Axel had his own issues now, trying to wrest Xigbar’s arm from off of him.

This was likely the strangest of the group’s traditions, he thought. He had only been conscious for two or three other such meetings, but doubted wholly his opinion of it would change. The others had claimed it was nothing more than a training exercise–and likely, that was what Saïx’s strange announcement had been in reference to–but that felt off, somehow. It felt…not precisely like a _lie_ , per se, but more like a half-truth; it felt as though a very important piece of information was being intentionally hidden. When unhooded, he could catch the looks the others exchanged when a match-up was announced.

And more than once, he thought he’d heard some of the others (Xigbar, mostly, but also Luxord and once Larxene) placing quiet bets and exchanging munny between swift fingers. 

So it was _probably_ training; but it was also _probably_ something else, too. It was probably _mostly_ something else. But already he knew there would never be any actual confirmation of that suspicion. 

When he glanced up again from his thoughts, Axel had managed to put some space between himself and Xigbar…but not much. “Aw shit…” he muttered, his own eyes scanning the shapes of their fellows. “Aw _shit_. This one’s gonna be messy.”

“I think you meant ‘This one’s gonna be _good_ ,’ Red.” Chuckling, Xigbar folded his arms across his chest, a sliver of his tongue appearing for only a moment, poking at an eyetooth in ravenous interest. “You know what ‘ _bloodsport_ ’ means, kiddo?” his eye flicked to Roxas, “Cuz this could be a _real_ good lesson, on that front.” 

Roxas opened his mouth to respond, but a hush fell over the congregation then, unguided but powerful as a tidal wave. He looked over in time to see the combatants take their places, watched at the others anxiously took up better vantage points. Much to his relief, the battlers weren’t wearing their hoods; he only barely recognized them, though, and so was lost on the looks of deep concern (and deep _excitement_ ) on the other spectators' faces. 

“This is going to be a bloodbath,” Axel said, the dour tone of his voice belying the quiet, childlike excitement the uptick of his mouth hinted at.

“It’s a _good_ match.” Roxas couldn’t tell if Xigbar’s comment had been meant as a contradiction or a reply. He found himself doubly perplexed.

“But…” he began, eyes narrowed in confusion as he watched the scene beginning to unfold before them. Slowly, he shook his head, “I’ve seen him fight before. Um…” The names were still difficult–too many X’s in too many strange places. “That one. And he didn’t last long at all, last time–”

Xigbar and Axel, for once, seemed to agree on _something_. They both snickered lowly, in a manner that was distinctly cruel. “Yeah. Yeah, no, he sure did not,” Axel smirked, “To be fair, though. You saw him battle with _Vexen_. And against Marluxia and Larxene, of all people…” He shook his head as if remembering the clash in vivid detail. “Two defensive weaklings against two offensive fighters.”

“Oh, they’re offensive all right,” Xigbar muttered, leaning in closer to watch as the posturing began to give way to actual fighting. “Here’s something you’ll learn _real_ quick, shortstack,” he said in Roxas’s general direction, gaze never leaving the battle. “Sometimes…how strong you are? How good you are at your job? That depends _completely_ on who you’re workin’ with. Some people work together better than others. Some don’t work together _at all_.” He waved widely with a hand, “These four? Work very, _very_ well together. Meaning that they also work very, _very_ badly _against_ each other.” 

“You can say _that_ again.” Axel appeared riveted as well, but there was something else in his expression; something almost entirely unreadable, something that made him look somehow more like a spy than spectator, to Roxas, at least. 

“The princes and their knights,” Xigbar snickered darkly, “Just like old times. My money’s on V and VI, by the bye.”

“Bull _shit_ ,” Axel said, though his voice had gained a strange, detached sort of quality–similar to how Saïx had sounded earlier. “III and X. Luxord can take a hit, Zexion can’t.”

Xigbar shook his head, disappointed. “Aw Red. One of these days, you’ll learn. Smart money’s V and VI. _Always_.” 

“Why?” Roxas asked, taking a few tentative steps forward to get a better view. 

Again, Xigbar chuckled. “Not obvious yet, huh?”

“It’s because Zexion _cheats_ ,” Axel said, focus scaldingly intense on the scene before them. “Zexion _always_ cheats.”

 


End file.
